As insurance costs soar and quality health care climbs out of reach for many, the demand for alternative care is likely to increase dramatically in the next five to 10 years. About 38% of adults in the U.S. already use complementary and alternative medicine, and 12% of children do the same, according to 2007 survey results from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those numbers will more than likely grow as children and teens carry their health habits into adulthood.

Although some insurance providers cover alternative therapies, such as chiropractic and acupuncture, many patients pay treatment-related expenses out of pocket. These consumers are looking to avoid the high costs of traditional medicine, arduous medical procedures and potentially dangerous side effects of prescription drugs. What's more, as the baby boomer population ages, it is increasingly seeking preventive care, achieved in large part through the use of nutritional supplements.

The top five reasons doctors recommend dietary supplements are 1) bone health, 2) overall health and wellness, 3) joint health, 4) heart health and 5) cholesterol maintenance, according to a report from the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), which also found the following:

• Forty-eight percent of U.S. adult consumers take a variety of supplements regularly.

• Confidence in the safety, quality and effectiveness of dietary supplements continues to increase among American adults, with 81% expressing trust in such products, now subject to current Good Manufacturing Practices and adverse events reporting requirements.
  

Learn how to incorporate dietary supplements into your practice in the Market Your Practice section of the articles tab.